Golfers often search for the answer before they finally go to a PGA Professional for help. The internet certainly gives us a lot of videos and tips to navigate for the answer. This can be helpful, but it can also hurt your progress.
When I’m working with a client one change does not lead to a solution. This is because the golf swing is made up multiple parts contributing to the whole golf swing. If you change one piece of your swing machine, then other pieces and the timing mechanism also need to adapt to this change. Complicated?
In my teaching experience I learned that golf swing changes happen in multiples of two – i.e., if the golfer has a swing path is outside-in the target line, the golfer will need an open club face to hit the ball in the direction of their target. Thus, if I help a golfer learn how to square clubface, and he/she doesn’t change their path, then the ball flight will be a dead pull (to the left for a right-handed golfer.)
It would be wonderful if I helped a golfer with this swing change and then automatically their path cured itself. This can happen, but it’s a long process. It is my job to help coach the golfer through the process and the frustration of learning the motor skill. It’s my job to predict what’s going to happen in the practice sessions, so that client believes in themselves and can see the benefits of the end goal.
A good swing lesson starts with a proper swing analysis. There’s never been a better time in the history of golf teaching that we can have concrete data to show our students exactly what their golf club is doing through the impact zone which directs the ball’s flight. Video analysis allows the PGA Golf Professional to show and explain how the golfer’s personal swing is affecting the ball’s flight outcome. Prescribing the right drill or solution is an art, and students then need to learn and perfect a drill. This takes work, patience and understanding as it is difficult to learn a motor skill. Finally, the golfer needs to incorporate and trust the change achieving balance, rhythm and timing in their swing; freeing their mind of conscious thought associated with the drill.
The golf swing is a complicated motor skill. So the next time you are searching for the answer on YouTube ask yourself a few things:
- Have you analyzed yourself properly?
- Is the drill the solution to your problem?
- Are you doing the drill correctly?
Assuming you have all these things correct, it’s important to know that some other pieces in your swing machine are going to have to adapt to this change. This is going to take time patience and perseverance. So you better hope number one, two and three are correct, or you may find golf improvement frustrating.
